


Truth or Dare

by 4321abcd



Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-05-15 17:37:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14794937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4321abcd/pseuds/4321abcd
Summary: While celebrating another sold out show, the troupe has enough drinks to let inhibitions slide away and engage in a game of truth or dare.





	1. Chapter 1

The crowd went wild. Philip let Anne take his arm, faced the roaring audience, and took his well deserved bow. He tipped his hat to Barnum who stood grinning a few rows back near the aisle. It was a weeknight, which meant Philip got to be ringmaster, but Barnum had started showing up more and more often to see Phil’s shows.

Barnum’s enthusiastic applause and face splitting grin made Philip beam with pride. Had Anne not tugged on his arm for him to descent backstage he would not have noticed everyone else leaving.

“Great show Phil!” Charles said as he gave him a light kick in the foot. 

“The greatest on earth.” Philip replied, chuckling. 

“What’s that, our 16th sold out show this month? I think that calls for some of the nicer booze Mr. Barnum’s been hoarding in his office!” Lettie chimed in, laughing as well, only to gasp as a strong arm slung around her shoulders.

“That so Lettie? You have a few good shows and all of a sudden your entitled to my best stash?” Barnum said sternly, but he winked at Philip before continuing. “Seems I had the same idea.” With that, he flashed his best grin and proudly displayed a small crate filled with finer liquor than the group had become accustomed to. “Someone grab some glasses!”

*****

A couple hours later the group had died down a bit. People had either retreated to their sleeping quarters, fallen asleep leaning on each other or the walls, or fragmented off into smaller groups talking happily together.

Philip found himself between P.T. and Anne in a smaller room off to the side with Lettie, W.D. and Charles also joining their little circle. He was utterly content relaxing with his closest friends after an unexpectedly lively after party aided by Phineas’s liquor supply.

“As much as I love all your company, I think we should play a game.” Lettie mused across from him. 

“What kind of game?” Philip replied warily, not too keen on moving from his comfortable position leaning on P.T.’s side. 

“I was thinking,” Lettie paused as she built up the suspense and waggled her eyebrows at Philip. “Truth or dare!” She emphasized her statement by swirling her glass around and taking a hearty sip.

“Truth or dare?” Philip chided, “I haven’t played that since I was a teenager.” 

“What’s the matter Philip? Afraid are you?” Barnum chuckled to his left. 

“Of course not! I just thought this game was for children.” Phil replied.

“Not the way I play.” Lettie shot back. “Prove you aren’t scared then--truth or dare?”

Every ounce of tiredness left Phil’s body in that moment; he was wide awake as he considered the situation he found himself in. Anything involving Phineas was always a little reckless but thus far he had managed to keep his feelings in check regarding the older man. With the alcohol and the glint in Lettie’s eyes pairing together for a dangerous combination, he hoped tonight would not change the facade he had carefully built.

“Dare, I guess.” He said, sitting up. After weighing his options he figured Lettie wouldn’t start too intense with dares, whereas truth could open him up for a dangerous line of inquiry.

“Lovely!” Lettie beamed. “I dare you to…” She slowly eyed the room around them, then the people in the group with her eyes lingering on each individual. “I dare you to serenade W.D.,” W.D. raised his eyebrows wryly, “while doing a strip tease with your shirt.” 

Anne burst out laughing, Charles joining in seconds later. W.D. looked at Lettie as if trying to figure out how he had wronged her, and P.T. gave a low chuckle as he shoved Phil into the middle of the circle.

As much as he wasn’t too keen on doing this, Philip was relieved that this dare was innocuous--especially since it didn’t involve P.T. in any way.

“You sure Lettie? Nobody wants to see that.” Philip said even as he was standing up. “Oh I agree!” W.D. chimed in. “I don’t need this burned into my eye sockets.”

Phineas was quick to disagree. “No, no, guys, a dare is a dare. Philip please enlighten us all with your song for W.D.” 

“Don’t forget the strip tease!” Anne added, still giggling to herself. 

Philip decided that getting into it was the best route he could take in this. He waltzed over to where W.D. was sitting. Unfastening the first button near the collar on his shirt, he started to sing.

“Oh, baby, you, you got what I need,” Philip sang while slowly swinging his hips in front of W.D. “You got everything I need,” His shirt was now half open and Philip was enjoying this more than he thought he would. W.D. shielded his eyes as Phil continued, “You're like medicine to me.” Lettie whooped, Anne and Charles were on the ground laughing, and Phineas took a long drink as he watched the show. 

Phil finished the last button and tugged his shirt out from his waist line as he opened his arms wide facing W.D. singing his last “Oh, baby!” before he collapsed into laughter and W.D. shoved him away mumbling “Why me” to himself as the rest of the group cheered. 

Philip chuckled at their cheers and resumed his earlier position next to Phineas. P.T. put a warm hand on his back as he sat down and Phil leaned into the touch. He started to button his shirt back up when Lettie scolded him, “Uh, uh, uh, Philip! Things that happen in dares stay until the end of the game, unless something else requires them to change.” 

Phil shot her a wary look. “Really?” Lettie smiled, “Of course! Especially since you can’t go and take that view away from us.” She said as she winked at him. Barnum laughed and started rubbing his thumb in circles on the small of Philip’s back and it was then that he realized Phineas hadn’t removed his hand after he got settled.

Eager to not let anyone notice Phil quickly kept the game moving. “All right who’s next? W.D.?” W.D. shot him a glare. “That dare was worse for me than it was you Carlyle. Choose someone else.” 

“Okay, okay--Anne? Truth or dare?” 

“Truth. Do your worst Carlye.” Anne said with a sly grin on her face.

Philip was finding it hard to focus on much more than Phin’s hand on his back and that may have skewed his line of thinking a bit. “Okay Anne, where is the strangest place you’ve had sex? Or done anything sexual for that matter?” 

Anne immediately flushed scarlet. W.D. choked on the drink he was having, and Charles leaned forward rapt with interest. 

“Umm....well…” she spluttered. Lettie didn’t like how uncomfortable she was and assured her; “Play the game, honey, this is a sacred space. None of us will tell a soul.” She said, stating the latter while staring at Charles.

“Okay well. A couple years ago there was this boy, and he wanted to learn the ropes, and he got remarkably good after a couple weeks of practice, and…”

P.T. encouraged her, “Go on darling, you’ve got all of our attention.” 

“We had sex in the air. During trapeze practice.”

Everyone broke into cheers and laughter. “How the hell did you pull that one off?” W.D. asked her after he calmed down from laughing.

“Well maybe some of us are just better trapeze artists!” Anne giggled to herself.

“Don’t get too sure of yourself, sister dear, I have a few years on you yet.” W.D. shot back before taking a swig of his drink.

“Oh do tell Wheeler! I’m sure we’d all love to hear the sexcapades of the mysterious W.D.” P.T. joined in. 

Anne recovered from her confession enough to jump back into the game. “Nope. Mr. Barnum it is still my turn and I choose you to go next. Truth or dare?”

“Darling you’ll be hard pressed to find something I’m uncomfortable doing. Hit me with a dare.” P.T. replied coolly, hand still drawing circles on Phil’s back.

“Hmm…,” Anne said thoughtfully. From her position on Philip’s right she was pretty sure she was the only one who could see P.T. caressing Phil, and she was even more sure it was not meant for anyone to see at all. “How bout you put that mouth of yours to good use.” Phineas’s eyebrows shot up and he broke out into a sly grin.

“I dare you to kiss, no, make out with -- tongue included -- Phil’s neck for a whole minute.” Barnum’s expression, to his credit, did not change. He maintained his grin and his eyebrows slowly returned to a normal position as he eyed the man to his right. 

Philip, on the other hand, immediately turned crimson. “Isn’t that as much of a dare for me as it is him? I already went!” Phil attempted to dissuade her.

W.D. was having none of that. “You mean how your dare was solely affecting you and no others? No way Carlyle. If I had to sit through your strip tease you have to do this.”

Phineas tightened his grip on Phil. “All right then, the crowd has spoken. I’ve got no access from this angle though, we’ll have to adjust.” He said as he pulled Philip into his lap, wrapping his arms tight around him. “Somebody have a watch?” 

Charles piped in, “I got you covered Barnum -- I’ll start the timer when you give Phil here some much needed attention.”

“All right then.” He smiled at Phil before leaning in, kissing Philip just underneath his jaw.

Phil’s mind went blank the second Phin’s lips connected with his skin. They were unbelievably soft, and his stubble felt extraordinary as it rubbed against his neck. He instinctively put one hand on the back of Phin’s head and put the other on his shoulder for stability.

His eyes snapped closed as something hot and wet dragged up his neck to his ear, and it took him a couple seconds to realize that was Phineas’s tongue. He hung on tighter to the shoulder with a vice-like grip, and the hand resting on Phin’s head buried itself in his hair. 

One of Phin’s hands was tugging on Phil’s hair to give him better access to his neck, and the other found itself on his hip, thumb digging into the flesh there thanks to the open shirt from his eariler strip tease. 

P.T. continued to lavish Phil’s neck with attention and it was all he could do to just hold on. Still unable to form even a shred of a coherent thought, he couldn’t help the intense heat in his groin and he got harder than he’d been in a long time sitting in P.T.’s lap.

Phil softly gasped as P.T. lightly nipped his skin with his teeth. He immediately set on soothing it with his tongue and lips and Philip was content to let Phin do whatever he pleased for as long as he pleased when--

“Time!” Charles shouted. Phil’s eyes shot open and Phin slowly pulled away after leaving one last soft kiss on his neck. He looked at Philip with hooded eyes and a close mouthed smile accentuating his swollen lips. 

Lettie started fanning herself grinning, “Whoee that was steamy Barnum! Didn’t know you had it in you!” 

“How was that then, Phil? Put my mouth to good use?” Phin asked lightly to offset the fact that Phil was still in his lap with a hand gripping his shoulder and Phin’s hand was still on the bare skin of Phil’s hip. 

“Yeah, yeah it was fine. Now let me off Phin so we can continue the game.” Phil said quickly trying to get the attention off of him and desperate to hide his erection from everyone, Phin included.

Phin’s grip only tightened. “Now, now Philip. I believe Lettie said things that happen in the dare, like this unbuttoned shirt of yours, stay until the end of the game. And the dare certainly brought you into my lap so…” Barnum waggled his eyebrows at Philip. Phil scoffed at him.

The rest of the group started laughing at Philip's discomfort. P.T. simply pulled Phil into a more comfortable position with Phil’s side resting against P.T.’s torso and Phil’s legs swung over the side of his right thigh. 

As Phin pulled him closer, Phil realized that Phin was undeniably hard underneath him. He tried to adjust a bit to give him some space but P.T. held him in place whispering to him, “Wouldn’t want anybody else to know how much that affected me Phil.” Phil flushed crimson yet again. “And if you stay still my arm is in a perfect position to block your predicament to the rest of the group as well.” Phil’s eyes darted down to see how dangerously close Phin’s hand on his hip was to his “predicament”, as Phin called it, but he was right. His forearm shielded anything from the prying eyes of their friends.

Nobody else was paying them much attention, all of them instead favored mocking Barnum’s “skill set” and laughing at each others jokes.

Then Phin said much louder for the whole group to hear, “Alright Charles! For so rudely interrupting my intimate moment with Phil here, you’re up next. Truth or dare.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I left this hanging for so long! Hope you like chapter two.

Charles mocked anger in response. “Rudely interrupted! How dare you accuse me of such things. After all I was saving poor Philip here from the terror that could only be your tongue on someone’s skin…” Philip flushed scarlet yet again, a quickly forming routine he was not fond of. 

“But anyway he seems pretty content to be cozied up on your lap so I won’t make anybody move this turn. Truth.” Charles confidently stared Barnum down.

“Alright, alright. I know you’d be the last one to deny fantasizing about someone in the circus, especially with the plethora of beautiful women here.” Charles smirked and nodded. “So I ask you, who was your most recent fantasy involving the circus about?”

Charles blew out a long breath before chuckling.

“Most recent fantasy ‘involving the circus’? That’s your exact choice of words?” Charles asked him carefully.

Barnum furrowed his eyebrows in thought. “Well, yes. Who was your most recent fantasy ‘involving the circus’ about?”

“Well that’s easy! A group of the girls who came to watch the show recently. They got all excited when I came out on the horse, and I can remember all four of their faces clear as day. That image fueled a great fantasy a few nights ago.” Charles smirked while the rest of the group laughed.

“That’s not what I meant and you know it! I meant a member of the circus!” Barnum said, mildly annoyed even through his laughter.

“Well that’s on you Barnum. I even clarified! Checked your wording and everything. I’m in the clear. Maybe you’re just bad at this game.” Charles said, way too pleased with himself. 

P.T. only smiled back. “Not sure I agree with you there, Charles. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying myself this whole game.” He accentuated his statement, unbeknownst to the majority of the group, with a slow grind of his hips into Philip’s ass.

Lettie cut in, “Oh we’ve all noticed Barnum. You do nothing halfway in life and I’m sure none of us are surprised that this game is no exception.” She said with a sly smile and a raised eyebrow.

Phil was sick of turning a bright shade of red anytime someone even remotely referred to Phin’s past dare so he tried to usher the game along. “Okay, Charles let’s keep this going please!”

“Why of course my dear ringmaster. W.D., you’ve been awfully quiet! I’d like to change that. Truth or dare?” Charles posed the question before taking a swig from his cup.

He responded without a thought or batting an eye. “Truth.”

“What? Worried I might make you suck on Barnum’s neck?” Charles chuckled at him.

“No, I just don’t get uncomfortable revealing anything about myself nor do I have anything to hide. You, on the other hand, may have some weird-ass dares hidden up your sleeve and I would not care to find out what they are.”

“Fine. You really think I can’t make you uncomfortable? Hmmmm… How big is your cock?”

Anne shoved her hands over her ears immediately, desperately trying to block out her brother's answer to this question. P.T. also took this moment to stop listening but instead directed his attention to shifting his palm on top of Philip’s clothed length. Phil’s entire body tensed against him and he uncontrollably jolted slightly up into Phin’s hand, both of them completely tuning out the banter happening between Charles and W.D. 

Unaware of his friends’ behaviour W.D. focused in on his questioner. “Why Charles? Is yours proportional and you’re dying to find someone else whose is small?” He shot back calmly.

“Oh honey, nothing about my cock is small. Wanna find out for yourself?”

“Certainly not. However I can’t answer your question -- I’ve never felt the need to measure. And nobody has complained.” W.D. smugly responded thinking he had Charles beat.

“Not to worry! I can find a piece of string or something and you can measure for us right now!”

“Wouldn’t work too well, I’m afraid, because I’m not even in the slightest hard, nor could anyone in this room really encourage me to get there.”

Phin chuckled a response for only Phil to hear. “That makes one of us,” he whispered while subtly stroking Phil’s erection and slowly grinding his own against the younger man.

“Well if you can’t answer the question then you’ll have to do a dare! House rules!” Charles beamed at him triumphantly.

“But...this is my house too! So therefore I say I don’t have to do that.”

Lettie was sick of their bickering. “Well actually, it’s my game, so my house rules, and I say as punishment for not being able to answer you have to finish the rest of your drink in one swig. And for bickering, you do the same Charles.” She used a tone that allowed no room for argument.

“Okay…” They said in unison before tipping back their cups and downing the rest of their drinks. W.D. then looked around the circle for a new target.

“I’m beat and that last swig went to my head a little too quickly for my tastes so this’ll be my last round. Lettie! You seem to have gone relatively untouched this game. Truth or dare?”

“You’d best make your last round count then! Dare.” Lettie responded.

“Alright. Kiss anyone you choose in the room. On the lips please.”

“Well I’d say Philip, but I’m not too keen on having a jealous Barnum glaring daggers at me so…” She promptly stood up and grabbed both of W.D.’s cheeks and exaggeratedly smooched him -- ‘mwah’ sound and all.

“Gah!” W.D. scrambled backwards and stood up frowning. “I should have never agreed to this game. I’m going to bed.” With that he took his leave.

Charles stretched his arms above his head as a huge yawn escaped his lips. “That’s actually not a bad idea. As much fun as this has been I think I’ll hit the hay as well. Enjoy your hangovers everyone--I’ll see you tomorrow!”

After they all bid him goodnight Lettie started the game back up. “Seems it’s just us now! The final four. Philip you’ve been awfully quiet over there getting cozy on Barnum’s lap.” Philip groaned. “Time for you to get back in the game. Truth or dare?”

Phil went with the opposite approach this time. Given how he was already hard and half-shirtless in P.T.’s lap with Phin stroking him whenever people’s attention was diverted, he figured a dare would either get him out of his prime position or, much more likely, have him go a bit further physically with P.T. than he would care to instigate under the watchful eyes of Anne and Lettie.

“Truth.” He said warily. He would have loved to take his leave with W.D. and Charles if not for the all too comfortable sitting position he would do anything to stay in.

Lettie’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “At what point in this game did you get hard?”

Philip felt like his face was on fire. While Lettie maintained a straight face, Anne burst out laughing and Phineas gave a low chuckle as he tightly gripped his hip.

“Well Philip? I asked you a question.”

“Who says I’m hard?” Phil responded, his face not even fading to a lighter shade.

“I do.” Phineas said as he exaggeratedly stroked his erection with his thumb, ensuring it was obvious for both Lettie and Anne to notice.

Phil groaned, and even he wasn’t sure if it was in despair at the situation or pleasure from Phin’s hand. “Fine then! When P.T. used his tongue on my neck. Okay! Moving on. I don’t want to ask any of you anything so someone else can use my question. Just move on.”

Lettie beamed at him. “Gladly! Now that wasn’t so hard was it Philip? Barnum you’re next. Truth or dare sweetie?”

“I’m always up for a dare, love.”


End file.
